Foot Prints -of-everyday life

Yyn's Ho Chi Minh travelogue

2011-09-17T14:56:00.071+08:00

I've been having strong traveling urges this year. I've gone to Bali and Phuket with great sun and sea, but I wanted to try out something more real, mingling with the locals in a laid back city.
I zoomed down my options and chose Vietnam- Ho Chi Minh.
There are risks for traveling alone, so as adventurous as I wish to be, I thought that is better to be on a safer side by going to the city.

I flew with jetstar on a discounted fare. The total costs including airport tax is tagged at $315 for a round trip SIN-HCM-SIN.
The currency exchange rate is SG$100 = 1,650,000 Dong

My stay is at Liberty Central hotel
175-177-179 Le Thanh Ton Street,
District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

It is a splendid location and sited right next to Ben Thanh market where I wanted to get the local experience at.

I arrived at noon and headed straight down to Pho24.
Pho 24 is the clean cafe franchise that is plotted all over Ho Chi Minh.
If you are a looking for a meal without any hygiene risks, this is your choice. It is not the best tasting Pho you can ever get on your palates, but it is passing and you won't bill out cursing.

The Menu is really short and simple.
The have mainly 3 meat choices for the Pho.
The side that you can order is their spring roll.
And... that's it. That's all.
But alright for me since I didn't intended to feast there, but rather, just to fill up my hunger prangs from missing breakfast.

I ordered Pho "all" which is mixed beef parts.
Overall pleasing. The soup although light, is brought to a greater stand with the individual ingredients being nicely favored, balancing and alleviating the plain soup. If the soup is too heavy, it will overwhelm the natural meat juices and taste.

very clean kitchen, pictures taken with the interior to give you a 360 degree look at the whole place.

All the peeps who knows me knows that I am crazy about Coffee and it is my life line.
I simply can't survive without coffee.
One of my favorite coffees is the Iced Viet drip coffee- which happens to be rarely seen in Singapore and if found, is priced exorbitantly.
So, I jumped at my choice of drink when I saw the menu... and I have a confession.. I ordered 4 cups of it one after another!

Ben Thanh Market

walking through a huge array of textiles, clothing, handbags and belts imposter of brands- LV, Burberry, Prada, Gucci..etc. Accessories and Caps/Hats.

I didn't purchase anything much over here. My biggest find is the Iron accessories and bracelets which are hard to get in Singapore. It has the rustic feel to it! Loves :D

I would say don't expect shopping here to be like Bangkok.
The designs here are more 90's and not typical stuff that people in their 20's-30's look out for.
It may be more eye catching to the ladies in there 40's and above.
However, if you keep your eyes peeled, you may dig out some stalls that sells things which are to your liking.

I didn't go there expecting to buy anything much, but more to experience Vietnam's lifestyle.

There is a food section there selling hawker food.
My stomach pushed my body there for some afternoon snacks!

The only form of communication I had with the Vietnamese stall holders is using very basic English with alot of hand signs.
I make my orders by looking at what I want, pointing to it and signing out the quantity of it. Asking of how much is the item and paying the bill is also by international body languages.

Vietnamese Duck rice rolls, to dip in peanut sauce.

The rice roll skin is wrapped with mint leaves, veggies and duck meat.

The had other dishes such as the below which is has prawn floss sprinkled over the rice flour pieces.

and they also have this dish which is shrimp wrapped around in rice flour paste and steamed to make it look transparent.

Steamed or cooked shelled seafood loaded into huge steel basins and scooped out into your desired plate sizes.

I love cheng tengs and had to try out their Vietnam version which looks lighter on the colour.
Conclusion: tastes as good! Even better! Their lotus seeds are so soft and fresh!

The wet market:

I found a interesting place online.
It is a Country American/Mexican Restaurant by the name of Wild Saloon located at:
8A1/D1. Thai Van Lung Street,
District 1, Ho Chin Minh City

There is live band playing live jazz, blues or country music.
It is famous throughout Vietnam as "The best Steak House in Town"
The serve Steaks, seafood, French and European specialties.
Looking upon the exterior and interior of the restaurant with barrel, wooden bar, dining booths and log cabin style decoration, you will be brought to the Wild West where Native American and cowboys on wild horses will hang out at.

Their cocktails goes at only SGD$4.
Caesar salad was what I had for starter. It is very pleasing as it was not heavy on the dressing with generous servings of bacon but not oily.

Australian Rib-eye Beef Steak was my luxury of the night.

Perfectly done with a pink center and retaining all of its juices within.
If the meat is frozen and thawed before grill, it will have alot of juices flowing out when you cut through (something like what you get from Ashton's).
However, if it is a fresh steak, the juices will not ooze out but be retained in the meat.
So, I know for sure that the Steak at Wild Saloon is not only nicely done but very fresh as well.
A good cut like this costs me ard SGD$26 which is a good deal to me.

after dinner, I am in the mood for some drinks.
With research via the free wifi at Wild Saloon,
I found a place which excites me to check out!
I made my way there dropping off the cab at Ly Tu Trong Street.

The place is Carmen Bar!
8 Ly Tu Trong
Dist.1 Ho Chi Minh City

You will be bewildered by the 2 level high stone carved building sitting on this quiet street.
The alluring red sign spelling Carmen calls out to you.
The host will lead you up the stone stairways bending through a stout wooden door.
The door opens a passionate fire blazing atmosphere even though dimly lit with candle light.
On weekends, Mexican live band sings and dances to hot Latino and Flamenco sound beats.
You will never feel like leaving this place. It sucks you into a world which is hidden and yet so full of passion.

The toilet did not fall short on the theme.

This is the height of the wooden door, you have to bend to get in ;)

hiding out at the Pigeon Hole

2011-04-17T00:34:00.016+08:00

I found a new Hide-out...
It's nicely tucked away in Duxton, Hidden and now found.

a dose of artiness, a dose of electric, a dose of casual mix-ups shakes together to create The Pigeon Hole.
The Pigeon Hole is a place for you to bring out the Modern Pop fusion-ed with literature Arty Farty side of yourself .
This is where you can grab a book and sit down for hours with coffee/tea.
This is where you can write a story with some creativity and wine.
This is where you can Rock and rolling with Beer and Ale with your Hippie Frenzies
This is where you can Sit down alone at a corner and let the time sip but stepping out less blue

It's a junk mix of everything which somehow works out well together bringing out each other's individual unique characteristics.

It is currently more of a space which acts as a cozy watering hole as there is no food menu, only serves 2 snacks (kettle Chips and something else). Their drinks menu however, is more extensive. There's Whisky, Beer, Cider, Ale and Wines.
But if ya looking for the Cafe experience, yes, you still get Coffee and Tea, but no food.

i adore the creative, stand-out senses of the owners

You are welcome to Chit chat yak away here.
You are welcome to Jam away here.
You are warmly served with friendliness and Coziness here like home
You do not need to dress up and have a thick wallet to be here.

http://thepigeonhole.com.sg/

lonely traveller's guide to Bali

2011-03-20T18:32:00.110+08:00

All my bags are packed I'm ready to go.
Embarking on a liberty trip and go through metamorphosis (usually used to describe butterfly's advancing of life stage and changing of skin(molting)).

Destination: Bali- Seminyak

Don't be afraid of checking in early.
A lot of people like to check in at the very last minute - 45mins to an hour before flight departure.
I say, check in 2 hours in advance. you have to be at the boarding gate 30mins before take-off.
Do the maths, that leaves you a comfortable 1 hr 3omins to lounge around and cater to the time needed to walk over to the belt.
Free lounges with comfortable sofa armchair or arch laid back chairs are available with view of the planes and budget eateries such as GoGo Franks, Wang Cafe and Spinelli line next to it.

It's boarding time. I am pretty comfortable traveling with JetStar for short trips.
If you are luckily enough, u may be able to grab a good airfare deal.

Finally, here I am. Somehow it felt like eternity, where every second seems to be amplified in the air. Guess its traveling alone and not being able to get to sleep on the plane.

Denpasar airport. A vast difference from Singapore airport. I had a mental preparation about this from hearsay, but I have to say- seeing is believing. Nothing can describe the feeling except for your personal experience.

Singaporean traveller's note:
NO Visa needed to be paid for Singaporeans, so head straight past the Visa payment cashiers, than go to the right side aisles where the word "INDONESIAN...." is very prominent.

If you had arranged for airport transfer service, this will be the sight you will see, and do keep your eyes peeled for your name on the signboard held up by these drivers.

On a a funny note, when I arranged for my airport transfer, I was informed that my name and resort's name will be written on a signboard and to look out for it. I was impressed and kindda excited picturing the scene of people arriving at Changi Airport and ushered in aircon comfort feeling totally like a VIP.
Here's how it turned out....

After being stranded at the arrival area for 1 hr 45mins (let's skip the story behind it)
I finally hopped on board my black Suzuki car transfer which I arranged directly from the resort.

Here's where I will be residing for 5D4N's.
My cosy hive is a one bed-room suite service apartment.
Astana Kunti has 28 studio suite apartment at 2 storey building and 19 villas.

Seminyak area

I did some research to boost my guts and itinery before heading to this foreign island. I don't want to be looking like some gundoo bird waiting to be duped and thrown into the boiling pot.

One of the places that really caught my heart is The Junction located at Oberio, Seminyak Square.

The Junction is a bistro bar decked out in white paint translucently wiped over wood grainings and crowned with black/white floral prints. This is what I call as comfort zone. I like their furnishing which is clean, yet sophisticated with a touch of detail and style.

Intricate are they. They did not neglect the ceiling as well.

My iced cafe latte (20,000 rupiah = ard sgd$3 )
is all it takes for me to laze on a Sunday morning from 11am to 1pm soaking in my deep thoughts and reading with the great lounge music that has a twist of trance and bossa nova shaken into a perfect concoction.

their very own branded ashtray that inserts temptation into man's mind of smuggling it back.

walking along the streets of seminyak, I caught sight of a quirky and whimsical themed cafe. Nice~!

the temple gates looks very majestic

with the bustling nightlife and cocktail traits in Bali, its no surprise for the local folks to store petroleum in absolut vodka bottles. To me, its an unusual sight and being a collector of Absolut vodka bottles, I simply love it!

After a long 25mins walk under the scorching sun (ok,maybe 25 mins is not so long lar, but your feet becomes twice as heavy under the hot sun), I finally arrived at Seminyak beach!
The friendly greetings of "hi, how are you?*smiles*" from the Balinese along the walk definitely gave me a great motivation and lighten my feet

looking all tourissy

Lomo-tified

there are sundeck chairs like the one below which is plotted along the beach.
These chairs seem so innocently displayed out like charity to your beach relaxation enjoyment, but once you set your butt on it, the aunties wearing cloth hooded hat will approach you for the rental fee.
The standard monopoly price quoted is 50,000 rupiah for each sundeck chair (which includes a side table and shade under a umbrella which is good enough to cover you like a mushroom top.
I haggled mine to 30,000 rupiah for an hour usage

gentle peddlers will slide to your side one by one offering kites, temporary tattoo, sarong, sunglasses and leg massages. Just smile, say no and they will glide away.

picture for illustration purpose

i actually prefer the view my shades. It gives the sea a better dimension and the details gets highlighted like glow ink under neon lighting.

It's a lazy weekend, even for the dog whom I caught yawning away after a swim in the sea.

overtime, sand playing is no longer restricted to building sandcastles.
kids love to bury themselves in the sand.
These kids are halfway there, they got half body submerged in manhole. digging in deeper!

One of my fave pics!
Need I say more? Hot body in Bikini and 3 dogs along side.
Damn! I'm envious!
I strolled down to Petititenget beach and chanced upon Potato head beach club!
Oh my! It is a wonderland for those seeking the high end indulgence to a beach experience.
Beach clubs these days especially the ones in Bali like Potato Head and Ku De Ta lives to its name by having open air clubs with performing bands or DJ's spinning.

Potato head beach club hosts 4 sections:
-Dining

- Sun deck

- Bar

they even provide you quilt towel for you to dry after emerging from the pool or for you to line the sundeck chairs for your sweat from the tanning

- open area for fresh produce market and flea

my cocktail- Kookaburra 100,00 rupiah

Lunch: Half Roasted Chicken

Bintang beer - 30,000 rupiah

swimming pool with pool bar

Potato Head Beach Club is located at Jl. Petitenget, Seminyak

Another themed decorated cafe is Cafe Bali which infuses Bohemian style into it's interior.
Cafe Bali is around 10 shop spaces from Seminyak Square. For easy reference, ask the driver to bring you to Seminyak Square and alight there. You will see the prominent The Junction, walk along the stretch which is saturated with shops and cafes.
You will catch sight of the obvious white words that shouts out "Cafe Bali"

there's free Wifi here, which qualifies Cafe Bali as ideal place to surf the net and hang out hours without having to break a huge note.
Drinks go at average of 15,000 Rupiah

Chicken Cordon Bleu and Grenadine syrup drink
40,000 and 10,000

Do look out for their daily special set lunche where you can choose having Salad with Main or Main with dessert at 50,000 rupiah (ard SGD$7.50)

a small pool is fixed right at their backyard!

the view from where is set is a combination of both the above and the below.

This is where I was sitting at

There are a few other Beach Clubs in Seminyak area. 1 of which is CooCoo
CooCoo puts on a more basic look as compared to Potato Head beach club. Nevertheless, still a Ahtas spot to feel the glamour of being a tourist/expat here in Bali, swimming and tanning in Beach clubs rather than rough and rugged out on the beach.

I discovered AJ Hackett Bungy during my research and decided to head over to check it out and conclude if its worth the return trip to Bali on another season to try out Bungee Jumping in the sunset.

Jalan Double Six-
Double Six 66 club

conclusion? I think I will set aside a better fund for Bungee jumping in Australia instead.
fyi, the jumps here starts from 99USD per jump

66 club is directly at Kuta Beach, all it took was for me to cross over and vooaalaa! My feet is soaking the water in 2 mins!

I love the low tide and far stretched out water longitude which creates a nice reflection of the sky on the sea's surface.
The surfers look like they are walking in clouds.

it's not rare to see millions of mini crab holes like the amount of pores on our faces. These will create a scene as though the earth is breathing.

I caught a little fellow through my squirming eyes and transferred the image onto picture.

Seminyak is an upmarket town with boutique shops, Spa villas, Cafes, Bars, Beach clubs and local stores selling handmade accessories and dyed sarongs etc.
You get the best of both worlds here, all in one.

Spa Boutique Villa

One of the few recommended eateries that is recommended by a few bloggers is Kyoshi Japanese Restaurant which offers decent Japanese food at reasonable pricing.
They were having a live Jazz band performance indoors when I was passing through on Monday late afternoon.

There will be offerings places all over the pavements and roads, so be careful not to step on them and be deemed as offensive to the locals. (refer to the picture below)
The local Balinese population is mainly Hindus.

I made my way to Made's Warung.
The TOP highly recommended place by all bloggers for a great Authentic Indonesian fare.

Made's Warung in Seminyak has an enormous area that it even has space to lease out to branded stores.
This enormous place is equivalent to 6 bungalows land area in S'pore and includes courtyard, Al fresco bar area, and a huge carpark area which can hosts around 20 -30 cars.

The lemon puch kicks a real irresistable icy sourish punch and had me going back for more.

50/50 Nasi Campur and Gado Gado was what I ordered. 40,000 Rupiah

I was brought to heaven for the 10 whole minutes sampling and letting my taste buds study and infuse the flavours of this dish, before being brought back to earth due to the excess baggage of filling my tummy.

Made Warung is my best food experience thus far and it has my thumbs up with 5 spoons on a scale of 1 to 5. EXCELLENT is the word.

Kuta Square
Kuta Square is about 15 mins taxi ride from Seminyak and 30mins for the return trip (traffic congestion) the Taxi ride will cost you around 35,000 rupiah
you will find a area which resembles Bangkok's chattuchat but is small scale in comparision.
They have some passable tank tops and floral dresses, but other merchandises are copies of each other and shouts BINTANG all over.

It's Surfer's heaven here.
Smacked right in the middle of Kuta Square is the high end surfer's street where the shop house rows is like Bangkok's Siam Square.
Big names steals the limelight with Billabong, Roxy, Volcom all screaming out loud, along with its sidekicks of boutique surf shops

A good place to stock up your fridge and get some air-conditioned shopping without haggling is Matahari supermart emporium.
It is located in the middle of Surfer's street

if you walk down straight, it will lead you to Kuta beach.
Look out for the prominent stone structure which is used as framing for the entrance to Kuta Beach

after the stroll along Kuta Beach,I head back up to the road and walked leftwards where Hard Rock cafe is located.
a few miniture horse carriages lines up there.

together with Rych where I decided to rest plunge my butt down for lunch

I am craving for more Indonesian cuisine and set my order on Nasi Goreng Lokal
which is Indonesian Fried rice with vegetables,Chicken sate (chicken fillet skewered, fried and dipped in Satay sauce), prawn crakers, fried coconut,topped with egg omelette
38,000 rupiah

not forgetting to call for a icy cold bintang beer to chill down in the weather.
22,000 rupiah

Rych is voted Indonesia's tatler's top restaurant(I didn't notice the awarding year though)
It has 3 levels. Level 1 and 2 holds a alfresco area and indoor air-conditioned area.

Level 3 is a rooftop bar.

Bucket list- Sneak preview

2011-01-18T22:34:00.006+08:00

I got inspired to be really adventurous and unleash the real me. the term Bucket list came to my mind. So here it goes...

a brief skeleton on some of the stuff that I can think off hand

- Leisure Backpacking tour in Europe, capturing images that my heart feels and my eyes sees through the DSLR lens. Will learn adobe to edit the pictures and effects to better bring out the emotions of the picture.

- Bungee Jumping in Australia
- Snow Ski-ing in Korea
- Rock climbing on real Rocky mountains
- Sky Diving
- Scuba diving in exotic islands of the less common but with clear blue sea and beautiful corals and marine life

- Play Saxophone
- Learn to play the Guitar and go for Vocal lessons and be able to sing like a female acoustic rock singer .. than find the opportunity to play in pubs/bars

will continue to develop and add more details to the list.

The Cuter Book- Sneak peeks. Pte & Exclusive

2010-10-10T00:57:00.006+08:00

I welcome a new entry to my lifelist.
I was shopping around and my eyes were attracted to this colorful attention seeking book which is as cute as the name is. It is printed and imported from Japan but translated in English so that it can be sold internationally rather than constrained to the Japan market.
I flipped its pages... Turns out, it is a Handicraft book teaching DIY hand stitched felt dolls.
It caught my sight and caught my heart as well.
I just HAD to get it!

the first few pages

a picture on how the end product looks like

Haha, isn't it cute?!
This is only 2 out of the 20+ cute designs!
Im So inspired to learn and make this Handicraft specially as Christmas prezzie for my loved ones (^~^)
That's why I call it private and exclusive. 1st time in life I'm gonna be selfish and say NO to lending the book out because I want gifts that I hand-made with Love to be as exclusive as it can be :P

my Dreams.. my Inspiration.. my Lifelist

2010-07-19T23:05:00.020+08:00

Immersing my soul in Sunset Lounge jazz tunes, my mind drifted…

Along with the tunes and vibes came inspiration and a hunger for a more fulfilling life.

Maybe I’m happy.. Maybe I’m too contented…

I have managed to touch on things which I hoped to do.

When I was 17, I was working in a Pet Retail outlet...

Job was fun and satisfying, but I had shallow pockets and a meek future ahead..

It was my 1^st job and being pretty "chao lao" in thoughts at a young age, I had longed to sip on wine with Jazz music and a nice restaurant as a backdrop with exquisite food, and yet not having to worry that the bill is going to come up to Hundreds..

I also longed for my own apartment which to put it as a short description, will be a glasshouse suspending between the Sea and the Sky. Where I wake up to a nice sunrise, sipping on a steaming cup of Café Latte on my porch and returning home to a serenading dark sky with the sparkling stars teasing it alongside with my relaxation on the Balcony.

Although I don’t own deep pockets or my own apartment now, but I can manage my wine and dine bills, as well as own my small comfy room which is designed and pieced by me.

So, yes.. Maybe this is why I feel that I'm contented…

But it is also this same contentment which I have strive for but is killing my heart with nothing much to look forward to…

Overtime, things seem routine and same old.

With a few drops of inspiration here and there and collected into a bucket, I have decided to come up with my life list…

Age 23- travel halfway across the globe.

- Self backpacking tour in Europe

- Get a compact DSLR and learn basic photography skills to capture pictures of beautiful images that my heart sees.

- Step onto the stone built spectators deck in the Colosseum (Rome), imagining the scenes of Gladiators fighting hungry lions. The feeling of thrill and fear all enthralled into 1.

- Crossing through Notre Dame (Paris) and Sipping on a cup of tea across a floral garden with a view of the Cathedral

- Seeing Sunset over Paris on the Eiffel Tower

- Invade and get influenced in the Romance of Venice where love is free spirited in the air. With wine, music and slow boating down the river stream beneath the bridges

- Running barefooted on the Greece beach with water sweeping through my feet and looking at the Blue and white architecture which sings happy light tones of the mesmerizing sky and sea.

- Bonding with people from all over the world in snugly backpacker’s lodges

Age 24 - taking the first step towards my ultimate dream of being my own boss.

- start saving up

- Learn to so photo scrape booking

- Attend Hip-hop Jazz dance classes

Age 25- able to read and write Japanese characters with a breeze

- Advance on my Japanese Language Skill

- Experiment on making personalized Bento sets with cute cartoon characters or animals.

- Learn to bake 5 different types of cakes

Age 26- Start brainstorming on possible business concepts as well as research on how t o go about doing so. Start sourcing for suppliers and venues.

- Sky Diving

Age 27-28- Set up and manage my own small business

- *current idea- Take-away Creative or themed Drinks/food Stall. Low start-up costs and low manpower needed.

- Focus on Maintaining Business

Age 28-32-

- Learn to play Saxophone and let it accompany me through the nights

- Salsa, Tango or Ball room dancing

Age 35- Apply for a apartment which matches my inspiration *If I'm still single.

- Own my black+white Mini Schnauzer Pup

- Invite my dear Buddie over for Dinner nights where we can prepared meals together and chill-out

Ok, as of this moment, this is as far as I have planned.

12 years ahead of me…

Solo Europe Backpacking tour

2010-04-17T23:33:00.005+08:00

I've recently got inspired and target to go on a Solo Backpacking tour in Europe. The targeted time frame for me to head to Europe is before/by April 2011.

the idea came from a simple 1 minute sharing my colleague who was telling me that her female friend just went to Europe alone on a free and easy tour.
I thought :" Cool! " WHY NOT!?"

Being 23 this year with no commitments and burdens, when would be a better time to go on an adventure trip of lifetime than now?

Life has come to a stand-still stage for me now. Wanting to move on but not knowing where to head to.

This Europe trip is something for me to look forward to and I hope the experience there will bring a change of mindset and determination to my life.

In the meantime, I've got so much homework to do before back packing in Europe. Luckily i've got a year for Preparation.

to travel:
- familiarize myself with the cities and towns in Europe
- research and make sure the places that English language is understood and spoken in the cities that I intend to visit
- Figuring out Eurail pass
- Find Hostel accommodation
- Plan itinerary

for my travel log:
- ask around and research on which is a good compact DSLR to get *includes trips to Sim Lim
- Learn Basic photography skills or guidance
- Get adobe photo shop program and learn the ropes of making effects on pictures.

and the list goes on...

Bangkok Journal

2010-03-24T01:00:00.028+08:00

Goodbye and See you again our precious

2010-01-15T19:00:00.002+08:00

Farewell always seem to be one of the hardest word to say.
But yet today, we had to come to face with the term.
It's dear jasmin/ a.k.a Lai Lai's last day in Comfort Taxi Business.
She's such a joy to our company and so close to our hearts that letting her go is hard to bear.
The food trails from my desk over to hers and vice versus is always such a simple act of friendship and our way of showering love.
I will definitely miss and feel empty with the absence of it.
On a note of consolation, I'm very sure we will all keep in touch with her. =}

the ever crazy and noisy girls

9 of us gathered and convoyed in Collin and Xiao Tong's car over to Marina Country Club for a steamboat and grill dinner @ Sakura

the happy Gang

we found it hard to resist the existing arcade and decided to have a hand at it.

Winnie is really good at it and manged to catch a puppy for Jasmin

we took a short stroll along the Pier for a breathe of fresh air

Xiao Tong loves the guy's company

While Collin prefers the Girls' company

but together, we are one happy group of youngsters having a good dinner time and catch up

The Evolution

2010-01-10T20:23:00.004+08:00

Me and Bud set sail on a Driving Voyage
->through the expressway

-> to the junction of Vivocity

-> Sentosa Gateway

-> Welcome to Sentosa :)

--> VooaaLaa!!
We arrived @ The Shack
All Rugged out, Unpretentious and without pressure

Chilling out at the beach with the windy breeze and ice cold beer

and footprints in the sand

we started out Basic and normal..
and the evolution begins...

The GRAND FINALE....

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-01-10T17:21:00.000+08:00

Spruce

2010-01-03T17:06:00.011+08:00

I was told Tanglin..
I was brought to a deserted road that lead to this hidden place.
Excitement and thrill was screaming in my head.
Joy was brightly lit on my face..
The stairways to paradise..
I had dreamed of a place like this.. longed for a place like this.. and now, I'm actually here, In a place like this....

Thank you for such memories.... =]

Counting down to 2010

2009-12-31T20:12:00.002+08:00

We Dined on tapas..
We Wined on Merlot..
We Played doki doki gorilla..
We Watched the fireworks lit up the night sky and disseminated
We Screamed in excitement..
We Cheered to the spectacular performance in the air ..
We Toasted to a brand new year
We Smiled on the fun filled memories

Thank you my friends.. Thank you for spending the time with me and crossing over the year with me.. =}

My Misty Turns 1

2009-12-25T17:37:00.002+08:00

This Christmas, My dearest Misty turns 1
im so proud of her for still staying on so strong despite her skin problems that has developed.
So, here's a proud mama's shoot of Misty sleeping

2009-12-06T19:17:00.001+08:00

We had a date with Ah Beng @ esplanade mall (aka. the Liu Lian)

where do a bunch of hungry peps have dinner at?
Glutton's bay of course!

the Orh Neng (Egg Oyster Omelette)

check out the size of the Oyster! @_@ Woaa~
Fat, Juicy and plump!

we had an "alfresco" seating overlooking the Christmas lighting and away from the Fried Hokkien Mee's "aroma"
we wanna look fresh and smell good when we meet up with Ah Beng later

we were in the mood for a slap stick musical comedy and since Broadway Beng is priced at a relatively low pricing of $19, we figured it would not be heart breaking should our date with Ah Beng not turn out well.

When we met up with Ah Beng, he was loud, crappy but giggled us. But after the 1st quarter without a storyline and just random blabbering of slapstick jokes, we were no longer entertained by him and was just letting the time pass.
Sorry Beng, we don't think we will be asking you out on a 2nd date.
But thanks for the 1st time experience of knowing you :)

JaMie 的生日

2009-12-02T19:03:00.047+08:00

**亲爱的Jamie, 这是特別为妳编写的华文版.**
====================================
我们告诉她(Jamie)聚在一起吃晚餐.
接她上车, 把她帶到一个无人处..
惊喜,紧张,期待, 是她当时的感受..

当我们叫她闭塞眼睛时,她心更是*不通不通*的敲滚...
我们从她背后,手里拿着蛋糕和香槟,慢慢走向她一面唱着生日歌



干杯!!!

在天台庆祝后, 才是真正的晚餐.
我们帶她來到有现代音乐队的 Timbre

我们都喜爱唱卡拉OK, 就随心去唱翻天 :D

Li-en's Birthday ice-cream+Dance party

2009-11-21T12:34:00.022+08:00

It's Li-En's Birthday!
We decided to throw a Surprise Ice-cream Party for her!
Each of us is suppose to bring either an ice-cream topping or ice-cream.
Let the Party Begin!

the chocolate stick was used in place of a candle and here goes Li-en Hufffing and Puffing away~

we than asked Li-en to unveil her present.
but hey, how can the molecules let her off SO easily?
We made her unveil her present with a dance and Desmond as a prop (coconut tree)

After that, she put up her birthday request to us for a bollywood dance performance for her.. we tried to shake off her idea, but boy is she persistent. I have myself to blame for sending her this Youtube video clip as her birthday greeting . She is totally tickled by it and wants us to do the Pom Pom act for her!

ok.. so here it goes!...
the Choreographer (me) giving them a rough idea on the dance formation.

Take 1-> Matthias, Ezen, Pam, yyn

Take 2 and the final successful piece.-> Pam, Ezen, Yyn

IMPRESSIVE! LOL

I Love Seals

2009-10-30T22:19:00.003+08:00

Picnic & Kite flying@ Marina Barrage

2009-10-24T11:28:00.002+08:00

video done by Adeline

sleeping cat

2009-10-20T21:41:00.000+08:00

Jamie's Birthday

2009-10-19T20:03:00.002+08:00

It's Jamie's Birthday!
We met up for dinner @ Kampong "GLAM" in Haji Lane
for some affordable and good Mamak Food

Addy Sneaked off to get a platter of brownies and pass the next job to Ken.
Ken was trying to light up the candles secretly behind the menu.
But its really hard to keep the secret when a menu mysteriously lights up so brightly like a fire

phew~! finally! *Ken wipes his sweat from his forehead*

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMiE!!

Oktoberfest @ Paulaner

2009-10-10T19:23:00.002+08:00

It's Oktoberfest!
We wanted to go for the grand celebration@ Swiss club, but a pity the tickets were sold out.
We altered our plans to Paulaner instead.
Alamak! the tables are fully reserved again!
on the high note, they DID say that we can try to come early to Chop what ever seats is available @ the bar.
so here I am, being the most idle person on a Saturday without cell and really determined to get a feel of Oktoberfest, I volunteered to be the table Figurine to Chop seats.

Special menu for this Oktoberfest period with food from the frying pan

ahhh, what better to kick start a relaxing Saturday Oktoberfest evening than a mug of in house brewed beer?

im quite famish, so Bring me the Fooodddd!
I ordered Cheese Krainer Sausage that bursts out melted cheese when u sink your knife in it.
How good is that?!
True German Grub

here's the seating area i managed to chop, with a good view of the chef and the huge outdoor frying pan & BBQ grill.

The sky is turning dark, and im counting down the hours to the arrival of the gang.

Kara quenched her thrist with a sip of beer,

while Hotpot Ken, is all THIRSTY for MORE~!

Brudder, Brudder!

Food from the Pan

and grill

Crispy Pork Knuckle!
and the Champion is.... Ken! who devoured an entire knuckle by his own!
*Kara, Randy and randy's Brudder cries at their 3 man gang defeat to a one man show.

Matthias got alot for than he asked for..

9pm, the Band comes alot to play some of the latest hits

while the real german festival kicks starts at the 2nd foor

with the German band playing

Proust! (cheers! in German)

Proust!

The German band decends to the 1st level and is welcomed by the cheering crowd @ the bar.

the ending highlight of the night;
The German singer + Waitress stands on the table tops and does a Chicky dance, yes, Chicky, not Cheeky.

some of the patrons joining in the dance and fun festive mood

PROUST!!!!

Indoor Picnic @ the Thong's

2009-10-03T10:46:00.002+08:00

It's Rest month. So the few of us decided to meet up for a Picnic by Pasir Ris beach for a lazy morning.
However, 天不做媒..
the weather turned out to be dark and cloudy. We decided to switch plans to hang-out @ the Thong's cozy home for an indoor picnic under the rays of the lamp in replacement of the sun.
Nanook - The Cat with the character and physic of a Rugby player nodded "Hi" to us as he laze at the door

I always am fond of the wall in the Thong's house which speaks so much about their lives.

here's our Buddy boy getting a backrub from us.

Besides the Delicious Japanese Fried rice that Kara has whipped up for us,
The Thong's Domestic helper prepared Mee Soto for us! Yummy

poor precious is sick and had just undergone an operation, We visited precious in her ICU ward (the Thong's bedroom) and than she was brought out in her carrier for a visit to the vet.
Nanook, the rugby player sprung on the sofa for a look at darling precious

Nanook misses precious...

poor precious. Hope u recover soon..

驾车逍遥游 Driving Voyage

2009-10-02T13:32:00.000+08:00

a Countryside feeling.

a place that is obscure yet warm.

a place which is accessible only by driving or Riding on horses, so as to speak.

Saddle Club screams out as the prime option.

Me & Bud took a day off from work to go on a driving expedition around Singapore.
Swearing by to explore the places which are accessible by driving.
Bud got her driving License recently- CONGRATS!
So, we decided to have a driving voyage with her as the driver.
Lucky me, I get to ride and enjoy without needing to check out for blind-spots ;P

our 1st Pit-stop:
Saddle Club
- Rider's Cafe

and crossing over to Mimolette...

Love the Classy Whimsical feel Mimolette eludes.
Its like Seeing Alice in wonderland but wearing a wedding gown

I dragged Bud to try out a "artistic shoot" just before we get into the car.
I shall name this "Double Reflection"

on our drive over to the second pit-stop

cruising through the alleys

our 2nd pit-stop:
Mount Sophia
- Old School

I love Old School. Arty, Quiet yet loud.

We were exploring the place,
Down the road pavements,
Up the stoned steps...
Up the Vertical staircase..
We brushed past a row of colourful rectangular objects.
* I reversed my steps back.
turns out to be a row of winners for a arts competition where the competitors are supposed to design the Skin for lockers.
I love the ones below.

interesting~ I thought. Kindda excited I have to admit. I was looking out for the exhibitions that Old school hosts.
Keeping my fingers cross, hoping that I will be lucky to uncover the exhibition halls.

FOUND IT!!!!!!! =D =D =D
and to top the cherry on the soda, The artist is Jane Lee!
Me & Kara came across Jane Lee's works in the Singapore Biennale and were fans of her works.

Jane Lee uses Acrylic for her works.
Expressing through the brillance in the moods of colours
and how each colour plays a role in the other's story.

she uses various depths/layers of acrylic to create dimension and texture

I was thinking Kara, my dear sister would love this exhibition!

2902 Gallery is hosting a photography exhibition for
Singapore International Photography Festival

One of the works displayed is by Ko Yamada

meant to express feeling of "emptiness" through the photos

next few works are by other artists that I take on random.

ok, time to step out of the gallery and bide goodbye to the Man in red as we step into the car to Cruise on to our next location.

Next Pit-stop:
Ann Siang Hill

greeted by the colourful mosaic tiles, we revealed a friendly smile as a returned greeting

We Met up with Ping's dad for dinner at:
Next Pit-Stop:
Portsdown Road, Wessex estate
-Pietrasanta Italian Restaurant

we lounge on the couch for our Dinner under the Calming ambiance Wessex Estate brings

Lee Ling's Hen's Night Party

2009-09-04T19:37:00.003+08:00

It's Lee Ling's Hen's night.
Since Lee Ling loves baking, we decided to have a baking class for her Hen's night party.

Address:
1 Westbourne Road,
#03-05
Aden, Singapore 138941
email: http://www.palatesensations.com/

the gals filling their tummies before the Hen arrives

Here comes the Hen. Queen for the day. Crowned with an apron

Chef Lynette giving us the instructions for the Recipe

It's baking the Carrot cake from scratch..
to Ta daa... the end product, topping it with Lemon cream icing

Bar Bar Black Sheep

2009-09-01T21:25:00.001+08:00

Bar Bar Black Sheep
Bukit Timah Road,
Cherry Avenue

went there to chill in a nice location with a pleasant crowd and jaw dropping beer price

Sad to say, I went there in July but today I realised they have closed down already :(

2009-08-29T14:59:00.000+08:00

Hair, Caramel, Tom, Palette? Wad's the link?

2009-08-15T15:51:00.002+08:00

the afternoon sun seeped through the arched rooftop glass.
i whipped out my camera to catch 2 architecture shots. I've been wanting to take such shots for a long time.

met up with Pam, Jaime & Desmond today for high-tea session @ Shaw Towers
1st stop:
Caramel Cafe- i've been wanting to head to caramel cafe ever since me & Michelle came across it's picture on a copy of 8 days.
I did my further homework and yes, it is a place which i would love to take some photos of and try out their desserts (especially their cupcakes)

Whimsical is the term.

Banana Chocolate cake with scoop of Vanilla Ice-cream
Strawberry Shortcake
Dark chocolate with Himalayan Pink Salt
Cream Cheese Carrot Cake

I always love weekend afternoon high-teas.
It lets me unwind, share desserts, sip on coffee and chat with my friends!

next stop:
Tom's Palette
Pam have been raving about their Apple pie from our previous conversation at Dome to the time we were tasting it.

Food, Movie & more Food

2009-08-10T23:17:00.019+08:00

Kara invited us to her house for a Wedding Helper's Thank You Party @ her house.
we had a great food; - Sarpino's Pizza, Botak Jones spicy fries + Potato Salad, Sauted Mushroom salad , pasta with tomato based swedish meatballs sauce, fruits salad, cakes+pastries, cocktail sausages, Ice-lemon tea, Cognac cocktail called Alize, Sparkling white wine.
It was a time of gathering, photosnapping (got a chance to use her professional DSLR cam) and viewing of their wedding+honeymoon pics.
Few of us were "high" on the drinks which gave quite a potent punch for a afternoon drink. Haha, Oops?
i didn't manage to snap much shots on my own camera as i was busy playing with Kara's DSLR.
check out some of the pics i took with Kara's DSLR.
http://elevenjuly2009.blogspot.com/2009/08/scenes-fr-set-of-80s-rewind.html
Wedding (the bunny) was the attention of the day.

the Gang of 8 waved goodbye to our Host, Hostress and the rest of the helpers, and headed down to J8 for a movie screening of
UP ... Up up and away~!

we enjoyed the show, there was a story plot to the show and...
i Simply LOVE the dog!
Haha, he's SO oo oo Cute!
hhmmz, guess i noe what will be my next year's birthday wish! =P

Me, Jamie & Pam bounced out from the dispersing group to Dome

what do 3 single ladies do at a Cafe in the evening?
well, we ate, we talked.. and we talked... and than we got our Caffine boost for further talking...
we ended up chatting till the Cafe closes.
Haha, unknowingly, 3 + 1/2 hrs went past

SING $$$$

2009-08-06T20:00:00.004+08:00

Delia Ra-Rung (malay term for initiated) a gang of Peps who have the Hots for Musical to select between
- SING DOLLAR! The Musical Comedy About Money
or
- The Reduced Shakespeare Company's ''The Complete Works of William Shakespeare''

the Majority Chose Sing Dollars, so here we go~!
We met up for dinner @ Makan Glutton corner at the open-air hawker next to Esplanade Mall.
Boy do i have a huge appetite tonite! I tried the Mee Goreng set and Kaya Fondue Set, both were more than good.
Tummies filled and here we go.
Trip to the Loo, up the escalators, climbing up the flight of stairs, than running frantically towards the theatre seats as the Ushers gave the Cue "1 more minute to show start!"

it was $$$ bling bling and all abt $500,000.
i've never been sucked into a money obession world for such a time frame!

Totally SINGAPOREAN is the term.
Cheesy Hilarious Comedy is what we need as a good Stress reliever

驾车找吃路- Driving, Food Scouting Escapade with Alle

2009-08-01T14:22:00.003+08:00

it is a Lazy Saturday afternoon, the Best time to meet up with a friend for a relaxing Brunch/High tea Session.
We decided to go on a 驾车找吃路 food scouting Escapade as my birthday meet-up event since Alle has the keys to a car and control behind the wheels.
Riders Cafe@ Saddle club and PS Cafe@ Dempsey is on my list.

1st stop-> Saddle Club.
depart from: Hougang Street 22 -> head along ..... Bt Timah Road.... Okay we got lost! we drove around for an Hour before we manage to reach there.
Haha, we tickled ourselves with the Irony at our lost of directions for driving and enjoyed the Catching up conversation we had on board the hour ride.

The driveway in, starts transporting us into another country. By the time the car came to a halt, we WERE in another country.
A country-side feel overwhelms us with amazement that such a place even exists in a Bustling City.

How lucky were we, it was full house when we stepped in, but just moments later, an empty Balcony table for 2 was made avail by the departing guests.

love their simple creativity of sketching a Horseshoe for their Coasters
my dear Friend Alle@ the Balcony Seating.

We made it in time for their Lunch menu. Food was G-O-O-D! (will comment abt the food on my food blog when im free)

it was a great seating which gave visual accessibility to a view of the Horses

After having our lunch@ Rider's Cafe, our attention was caught by a group of Expats having a Birthday party. Their cheerful voices led us to Mimolette.

oh boy~, i love the decor and Ambience of Mimolette, this goes on my next Chill-out List ;)

We both tunefully agreed on exploring the area.
Hello was greeted to us by the sign;

It was than Nice to meet you, *flashing a friendly smile* by the tree in a tone of pink

and "This way Please" Guiding us the way,
with a briefing on its History

the times when Hostility was Strong and Windows were Shut

to the times when the doors and windows were opened once again to Hospitality

they greeted us Goodbye, See you again

=========================================
2nd stop-> Dempsey
Depart from Bukit Timah Road-> Farrer Road-> Holland Road, arriving at Harding Road.

Colourful Parrots mock at us as we were being led by the signage that point us to a round about detour. Desperation and sweat was clearly reflected on our faces.

we finally found the PS Cafe Crew

We trailed behind them who led to our intended location

which is CLOSED! ....

Okay, change of plans....
House Camp Barracks was my Suggestion - i've been wanting to check the place out!

Time for a late High-tea over Desserts and Drinks
Hot Melted Chocolate Toffee Cake
Minty Berry
Pei Pa Herbal Tonic
Savoury ice-cream- Parmesan Pecan in Thin pizza cone

next stop-> Home
: embark on the expressway with sun set

28 July- Part 2

2009-07-28T20:10:00.002+08:00

my Dearest Sista brought me to Pasta Brava for a Birthday Dinner Treatz
so excited! Been wanting to try out Pasta Brava for a long time

we ordered Portebello Mushrooms

Salmon Ravioli in Pumpkin sauce

Crayfish spaghetti in tomato sauce

i enjoyed my dinner ^^

Next stop, Desserts!
Kara called her friend for recommendation on a location with Desserts.
She was being recommended to check out Iluma@Bugis.
So we headed over in her little red car to Iluma.
Her lips spelled Cheeky.
Her choice of option is Cheeky.

we walked in and were ushered to a huge table, a lady revealed her face off the menu that says "there's something cheeky inside". How True! Haha
It's Ezen!
Haha, Sneaky sneaky Kara.
After a moment of discussing what we should order, 3 of the Cafe staff walked over towards me with a slice cake in their hand singing a Birthday song along with the glowing candle.

Jaime popped in, followed by Desmond

Thank you all for taking the time down to do a mini surprise/celebration for MEeee !
=D
special thanks to my Dear Sista Kara for always putting in the effort for me year after year!
Marked in my memory and Birthday folder ;)

28th July- Part 1

2009-07-28T16:57:00.000+08:00

i really felt loved in the office.
I was greeted by Peps wishing & Hugging me the moment i step into my department as well as tossing presents into my arms.
my Boss got me a Huge birthday cake ^^ so sweet she is

Heeheez, so here's my 3rd birthday cakie.

Muah 22nd BDay wif BuD

2009-07-25T22:59:00.003+08:00

i was transported from Marina Square Billy Bombers to level 2 and opening the door to a Heaven on Earth.
That door lead to the 4th floor of Marina Mandarin Hotel.
A sneaky suspicious smile lurked from the expression on my Bud. I knew something was up!

my room was located on the 16th Floor

View from top

to the bottom

Oriental ambiance fills the place Chinese Old Jazz singer sings "ye lai xiang" alongside with the neon lights lighted along the rail

the view from my room Balcony

we headed out to Suntec to catch the movie Public Enemy starring Johnny Depp.
my frienz are such naturals in carrying out a Surprise!
After the movie, we asked each other if we are Hungry? everyone replied "so-so" they suggested going back to the hotel to eat Cup noodle (ok, i recall seeing few bowls of cup noodles on the pantry) and we agreed upon it.
When i was back in the hotel, they asked for a bucket of ice from room service. When i wanted to boil the water for the cup noodle, Ping told me to do it later as they are not so hungry yet. Im a follower, so i followed suit.
Minutes later, the doorbell went off.
I was expecting the bucket of ice, but it turns out to be a Room Service Personnel balancing a huge try on his left wrist.
i recognize the Bakerzin paperbag and there were another 3 plastic bags where the items in it were concealed.

Taaa Daa...!!!
Turns out that they had ordered Sakae Sushi for our In-room dinner!

with my/our Fave Sashimi!!! + Sake
I can't stop grinning and smacking my lips at the look and taste of Salmon Sashimi!
I feasted on the huge abundance of the fish like a Seal

there, the Happy SEAL *uuhhh uhhh* claps claps*

my Atas Bud bought Champagne along, haha

Some love Breakfast in bed..
But how about Birthday cake on bed?
Yeah~ tt's wad u do in hotels rite? U jump on the bed all u want and not be afraid of springs springing out from the mattress, and you feast on the bed like a Queen and not be afraid of dirtying it!
.
here it is, Muah BiRtHday Cakiee!

in my fave flavour! Yumz!

Our Tummies are calling for Chinese Food.
Headed over to Dian Xiao Er.
Haha, busy eatting and chatting that i forgotten to take pictures of the food!
tt's so rare, how can a Foodie forget to take a photo profile of the food? Well, guess that happens when u have other things to take ur mind away-> my frenz =]

My Bud, Ping, Whipped her hand and unveiling a small black box in her palms.

OH MY GOOOOSSSSHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My eyes sparkled, my mind jumped wildly, i was Elated!
am i sure i am seeing what i am seeing?
There, right in front of my eyes, lies an object of my Desire.
Yes, u will never hear me mutter this word Desire except for this!
DESIRE is indeed the word.
I had Longed for an item like this in my life.
something i can hold on to, carry with me everywhere i go and tough it out wif me through the different stages in my life.

Dinner meet-up with Kelly

2009-07-19T23:18:00.021+08:00

Kelly, with her family arranged to meet me @

for a Birthday Dinner Treat for me.
She brought me to Shokutsu which is a concept of Japanese food alley

I love the atmosphere and Decor there, i really felt like a Kid in a Amusement park Wowing and having sparkle eyes at every object i could catach sight of.

It really feels like im being transported to Japan and walking through their alleys

The Puffer fish lantern is so cute!!! Kawaii Ne!
Haha

I decided on Men-ichi (no.1 noodle) as im craving for some good ramen and wondering if this would be ranked in my Must-Try food list

The ramen is really good! im gonna Blog about it on my foodblog when i have the time

we did some shopping around, than headed to Starbucks.
Okok, acutally we are there becos i had an immense craving for their Vanilla Cafe Latte with Coffee Jelly ever since i laid eyes on the commercial.
How could i give it a miss when it is 1 drink that comprises of 3 things i love?

we sat down and had a good chat with Baby Ryan entertaining us with his dance moves to the R&B song blasting from the atrium.

Kelly said that she needed to change Baby Ryan's Diapers. She took off with him and her Barang Barang bag...
and....
came back with a HUGE Surprise to me!
I turned around and there is Baby Ryan in Kelly's arms with a super wide smile across his face and holding on to a Bakerzin Plastic bag.
HAHA! So CUTE and surprising for me! Thanks Kelly! ^^

heehee, i got to have 2 birthday cakes! =P

and even though Michelle could not make it to join us today, she is so SWEET!!
She prepared a gift for me and had passed it to Kelly days before our meet-up.
It is wrapped in the cutsy wrapper below. Haha, my soft spot, i love bears!

thank u Michelle! I love it! Heehee, sry i could not wait to my actual birthday date to open up the gift =P
i like the scent, will wear it to work tomorrow! ^^

2009-07-17T13:00:00.003+08:00

Charlene came over to the office to meet me for Lunch today.
Heehee, im glad she's on Holiday for now and able to drop by. Its nice to see her and catch-up ^^
we headed to Icekimo for some Yummilicious ice-cream. I thought it would be a good place for us to chit chat rather than sweating it out at the nearby coffeeshops.

for review on Icekimo, click here

Quite surprisingly my Auntie Colleagues, (ok actually they are not THAT old but i call them auntie as a category of peps above 30's and married with kids =P ) wanted to organize a birthday Karaoke session for me.

I thought it is really sweet and i thank God for the favour he gives me in my workplaec environment.

So, its all set for 29th July Karaoke Session and Charlene (the young 1) will be joining us!
Heehee, so happy, i can't wait for my upcoming meet-ups.

I also thank God for birthdays which gives people opportunity to meet up and brings people closer together.

I can't wait for upcoming Dinner meet-ups, Hang-out @ Minds cafe, Trip to Malaysia, Banquet for Migrant workers, and Karaoke Session (^~^)

Old Charm

2009-06-28T23:47:00.003+08:00

Misty, U r getting fatter by the day!

2009-06-28T01:22:00.004+08:00

my dear Misty is 6 mths old and getting fatter by the day!
Here's a current pic of her =)
Eatting and balancing herself on 1 hand

Hen's Night

2009-06-26T19:29:00.004+08:00

Due to certain content which is sworn in the Ladies Hen's Night Secrecy, i shall only post the "allowed" photos and omit the ones that is marked "RESTRICTED ACCESS"

Green Tea Cake specially baked by Jaime for our Hen of the night Kara

Our poor Hen of the Night
Kara: "oh no~!"

It's head home for some snacks and Jie Mei's Discussion

Hammies

2009-06-06T02:03:00.007+08:00

Sometimes we thirst, and we seek the life source alone.

But, wouldn't it be nice if a friend pops by to share?
There's plenty to go around.
U can have a drink 1st

and I take over when ya done.
Giving and taking.

in perfect globe of harmony

Prawning Session

2009-06-05T21:54:00.000+08:00

It's a Friday Night, instead of our usual Friday Supp Club, we decided to do something different today.
So we head out to The Beer Garden@ Sin Ming for Dinner and some live prawning experience.

Here's my winning Catch. Loster Prawn! =D

Here we are trying to Wrestle the Lobster prawn with our hand and leg. It's pincher would give a painful *Kiap*

our combined catch of the night

The prawns take turn for a Sauna

: let me listen to ur Pulse

Kara's attempt to scare the guys-> Take 1

Kara's attempt to scare the guys-> Take 2

Kara's attempt to scare the guys-> Take 3

my BuDDy!!

2009-05-29T22:11:00.001+08:00

i'm really glad and relieved that i have found a precious friend from 5 years back. My Buddy that means the world to me.
As time goes by, people that comes by in your life and brand themselves as friends, will move on and say goodbye.
At least for me it happens this way.
When i was in my teens, i watched many English movies of romance and wedding.
as a adult with having many people pass through on my life journey, i was left me pondering if i will have anyone to stand up and say a blessing message which is so real and so heartfelt that i feel really blessed?
As of now, i am relieved to know that i have a dear friend with me that has seen me through a few stages of my life and 1 whom will continue to see me through my days.

I have just completed the planning and celebrating of her '09 Birthday. I really hoped she likes it as i have really placed all my heart and efforts + brain juices & sleepless nights into it.

A Single's Day-out : High-tea/photography/shopping

2009-05-09T14:45:00.004+08:00

It's a Saturday.
As Part of my scheduled "must-do's"
I needed to search for something exceptional in a boutique shop.
As for me, i always think and plan things to keep myself occupied, so i thought, y not head down to Haji-lane and do a few things that i would enjoy? especially when i had told myself that i will return to Haji lane for more photo taking
So here i go....

1) Photo- Hunting starts....

I recalled my last memory
and navigated my way through the small streets structured like a maze.
And there it is...

where the BEST Kaya Roll in s'pore is located at!

2) 2nd goal of the day- Get the Sedap Kaya Roll

attached is how the Kaya roll looks like:

i continued with the photo-hunting.

Exterior of Kid's Museum

3) High-tea Part 1
Than its time for my High-tea and getting a thirst-quencher in the scorching heat @Pluck Cafe

It was window glazing, sipping on ice coffee, writing some stuff, foot rest, and here i go..

4) Boutique shopping

all. yes.. ALL! the boutiques were decorated with quirky/creative paintings/decorative pieces
that it adds fun to just shopping.
It was a great shopping experience. Im not a huge shopholic, but this shopping sight seeing is indeed entertaining and enjoyable =]

5) High-tea Part 2 in a Jazz Cafe located @Somerset

ahhh... time to head for Cell and let everyone try the Kaya roll ^^

Stepping towards a goal for 2009

2009-05-03T20:08:00.020+08:00

Kara is free for the day, so i roped her to ferry & accompany me to Queensway Shopping Centre to get my pair of Running Shoes

on the way over, we turned into Little Bali, The Vila Frangipani Restaurants.
ok, actually it is not so much like restaurants, more like hawker center ze-char stalls that serves Balinese, Thai, North Indian & Western food at realistic prices ranging from $4.50-$6.50 for a meat+rice dish

We ordered:
Butter Naan

Chicken Basil

Olive Rice

all ready to go shopping for my shoes! =D
one of the items in my wishlist for 2009 is to start a regular exercise regime.
and yeah baby~! i'm all piped and motivated to tick on my list!
so for those peps whom have yet to commit to their wish list items, GET UP AND GO FOR IT!!!

ask my sista Kara, and she will elaborate how picky/grab and go i am for my running shoes
It has to be Addidas, Clima-cool series, nice looking, thin soles, airy netting, within a $100 budget.
Kara had to go stall hunting with me for a shoe which meets my criteria, and after setting eyes on it, to continue on popping by the stalls for a price check

and there i found it!
Addidas Ozweego Climacool 365 Women's

with the airy honey comb netting structure

the cost of hole in pocket:
original price $142, after discount= $106

the total damage of the day

Healthy Pack:
Sports Apparel

Diet
a random quick selection of quick fix meals
Breakfast: Soft Grain bread with Shaved honey baked ham + Cheese
Lunch/Dinner: soft grain bread with tuna+ cucumber
to relax my stressful day with iced Choya+Unsweetened Green tea

Haha,
I hope my schedule will allow me to carry out my work-out plans.
If all goes well, i plan to be disciplined to sleep by 10pm every week day, and wake up at 4.30am at least 3 of of 5 of the weekdays.

my planned diet will be:

For the Weekdays:

plain chicken porridge (without fried onions and you tiao) /Chee Chong fan for breakfast
Homemade sandwich with variations such as smoked salmon/cooked beef/turkey ham/tuna or sliced fish soup
Sushi for dinner

For the Weekends:

Any food chomps which includes desserts such as muffins/ice-cream etc but excludes deep-fried or oily stuff like fried chicken wings/hokkien mee/laksa/char kway tiao

KEEP RUNNING

MAYDAY bbq

2009-05-01T21:12:00.002+08:00

Venue: Kensington Park Condo

its a public holiday!!!
What better way to spend the day than having a BBQ gathering?!

Our man behind the pit with his Buddy bringing up the heat
Ashes were flying.
Black Charcoals were turning fury red under the Satay man and his trusted Satay Fan

wifey comes along and the pair team up in a Mr & Mrs Thong BBQ Grilling

the gang waiting around for the 1st round of piping hot, juicy chicken wings to be up on the table

The Food & Drinks + Dessert Menu:

Cheena Soya-sauce chicken wings (recipe by Ezen)
Caesar Salad with Dressing (handmade sauce made from scratch by Pam)
Bacon wrapped Enoki mushrooms
Bacon wrapped Asaparagus
Minty Lamb
Spinich with button mushroom
grilled Portbello mushrooms with Cheese
Hoegarden Prawns
Otah
Cheese Pork Sausage
Chye Pok Cod fish
Sambal Sotong and Stingray
Soft Drinks- Pepsi
- 7-Up
Wine- Chardonnay
- Shiraz
Longan, Lychee and Grass Jelly Dessert drink

Oh my! What a spread! our tummies were stretched to the Max!
The team of chefs were Superb.
the food were well marinated, the BBQists were totally professional and controlled the cooking time well, so all the food came out nicely done.
One of the BEST BBQ's i ever had, along side with my 21st birthday BBQ.
Special thanks to:
Jaime, Ezen, Pam -> for the food preparation
Desmond -> for the planning and driving back to Jaime's house for a tub of Caesar salad dressing and bearing the description of a burglar.
Ken, Eddy, Matt & Cynthia -> for being behind the grill.

the Crowd:

Chicken Ala-Carte

2009-04-22T22:59:00.001+08:00

This is one of the reasons why i have a heart to do volunteer or mission work in 3rd world countries.

These people live in poverty and hunger, yet they carry a smile on their face and do not give up on their life.

The heart wrench that i feel makes me want to love them even more and let them feel greater joy by knowing God and experiencing his love.

This video is a knowing and reminder of reality.

It is good to be reminded now and again…our children shd know how fortunate they are. The hundreds of thousands who live in poverty.

Please click onto the link!

http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/1081/Chicken-a-la-Carte

regards,
Yyn, Tay Hui Yin
鄭慧尹
- "The Sun always rises after a Storm "

FRiDay SuPper CluB- SeranGoon Gardens

2009-04-18T20:38:00.001+08:00

Heyz! Its Friday! which means it's time for..... FRIDAY SUPPER CLUB!!!
Friday supper clubbies attendance today:
Yyn, Kara, Desmond & Ezen

1st Stop - Serangoon Garden Food Centre
We Ordered:

Pan Fried Dumpling (Guo Tie)
Stewed Rice with Beef (a.k.a Beef Mui Fan, pls refer to story below)
Satay Satay
Mee Pok
Laksa
Fried Hokkien Mee
La La (complete rip off!)

Beef Mui Fan- the story goes like this...
Their last food item on the menu says: "stewed Rice with Beef"
They did not display any pictures of their food at all..
Thinking that Stewed rice is the dark coloured rice (like beef stew colour and taste) i interpreted the dish to be that way with slices of beef on the top.
Interesting~ i thought to myself. So i had a urge to try it out!
I told the mandarin speaking auntie "Stewed Rice with Beef"
auntie: "ah, Beef Mui Fan ah?!"
Me : (caught by surprise) Ah?! oh... orh.. ok?"

2nd Stop-> Dessert Bowl!!!

Kara in action and all hyped at trying out her new professional camera lenses

For my food review, click here

2009-04-16T19:49:00.002+08:00

one of the random pics i took which inputs a feeling in me..
still figuring out the expression of it...